Draft ordinance prepared to grant indemnity to July fighters: law adviser

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Asif Nazrul said on Thursday that a draft ordinance was prepared to grant indemnity and legal protection to the July fighters.
In a post on his verified Facebook page, Asif said the Ministry  of Law had already finalised the draft ordinance and would place it for approval at the next meeting of the Advisory Council.
In the post, titled “Immunity for July Fighters”, he wrote that those who took part in the July mass uprising had risked their lives to free the country from what he described as fascist rule and therefore deserved indemnity.
He said there was a need to enact a law granting them protection for the defensive actions they took during the uprising.
He argued that such legislation would be lawful, noting that indemnity laws have been enacted in various countries following revolutions or mass uprisings, including after the Arab Spring.
He cited Article 46 of the Constitution of Bangladesh as providing the legal basis for indemnity laws and recalled that an indemnity law was enacted in 1973 after the Liberation War to protect freedom fighters.
“As per these precedents and legal provisions, the Ministry of Law has prepared a draft indemnity ordinance,” he wrote, adding that it would be placed before the Advisory Council at its next meeting.
He described safeguarding the spirit of July as a “sacred duty”.
On Tuesday, the Advisory Council Committee on law and order decided to initiate the process of issuing an ordinance to grant indemnity and legal protection to the July fighters.
The committee asked the Ministry of Law to prepare a draft ordinance for this purpose.